Northstar Location Services has been calling consumers multiple times a day about auto deficiencies, credit cards, and personal loans. According to BBB records, consumers have allegedly described calls from rotating numbers after blocking previous lines, collectors hanging up mid-conversation, and collection letters that omitted whether the stated balance would grow due to interest or fees.
Key Takeaways
- Northstar Location Services, LLC is a real, registered debt collection agency based in Cheektowaga, NY. This is not a scam
- They collect auto deficiencies, credit cards, personal loans, and telecommunications accounts
- Five separate 2017 federal class actions alleged Northstar failed to disclose whether the stated balance would grow due to interest or fees
- Additional lawsuits alleged deceptive tax penalty language in settlement offers and collection of time-barred debt
- BBB records show 48 complaints in the last three years, primarily for excessive calls, collector hang-ups, and refusal to accept verbal disputes
- FDCPA violations can result in up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus attorney fees paid by Northstar
- The Wood Firm PLLC works on contingency: you pay nothing unless we recover for you
Who Is Northstar Location Services
Northstar Location Services, LLC is a debt collection agency headquartered at 4285 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225. The company also operates a wholly owned subsidiary in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. It has been in operation since 2000 and offers both first-party and third-party collection services.
Their name reflects a capability most consumers do not expect from a debt collector: skip tracing. Skip tracing means locating consumers who have moved, changed numbers, or become unreachable through standard channels. If Northstar found you through an address or number you did not give a creditor, skip tracing is the likely explanation.
- Also Known As: The Northstar Companies; NLS
- Address: 4285 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225
- Phone: 716-817-6770 | (716) 817-6770 | +1-716-817-6770 | 7168176770
- Phone: 877-630-6700 | (877) 630-6700 | +1-877-630-6700 | 8776306700
- Email: nlsemail@northstarlocation.com
- Website: gotonls.com
- BBB Profile: Northstar Location Services BBB listing
Northstar is not BBB accredited. The BBB has logged 48 complaints against them in the last three years, with 14 closed in the last 12 months.
In our practice, we pull every collection letter Northstar sent on any file we open. Their 2017 litigation record makes letter review a priority: five separate federal class actions that year alleged the same balance disclosure failure, and a defective letter is often the strongest single piece of evidence in an FDCPA claim.
Phone Numbers Northstar Location Services Uses
Northstar calls from multiple numbers. If any of these appear on your caller ID, Northstar Location Services is likely the caller:
- 716-817-6770 | (716) 817-6770 | +1-716-817-6770 | 7168176770, primary office line
- 877-630-6700 | (877) 877-630-6700 | +1-877-630-6700 | 8776306700, toll-free line
- 866-224-9824 | (866) 224-9824 | +1-866-224-9824 | 8662249824, reported by consumers
- 877-682-2671 | (877) 682-2671 | +1-877-682-2671 | 8776822671, reported by consumers
- 888-820-0961 | (888) 820-0961 | +1-888-820-0961 | 8888200961
- 888-820-0963 | (888) 820-0963 | +1-888-820-0963 | 8888200963
- 888-820-0964 | (888) 820-0964 | +1-888-820-0964 | 8888200964
- 888-820-0968 | (888) 820-0968 | +1-888-820-0968 | 8888200968
- 888-820-0969 | (888) 820-0969 | +1-888-820-0969 | 8888200969
BBB reviewers have reportedly described calls where the phone rings once and disconnects, calls where no one speaks when answered, and voicemails that identify only a callback number without naming the caller or the person they are trying to reach. Document every call with the number, date, time, and what was said. That log becomes evidence if calls continue after a cease request.
Why Is Northstar Location Services Calling You
Northstar Location Services is calling you because a creditor assigned or sold your account to them for collection. They collect for financial services companies, auto lenders, telecommunications providers, and other consumer creditors.
The distinction between first-party and third-party collection matters. In first-party collection, Northstar acts early, while the account is still with the original creditor. In third-party collection, the account has been charged off and either assigned to Northstar or sold to a debt buyer who hired them. If you do not recognize the creditor Northstar is referencing, that is a signal to request written validation before engaging.
Common debt types Northstar pursues include:
- Auto deficiencies after vehicle repossession
- Credit card balances
- Personal loans
- Telecommunications accounts
- Other unsecured consumer debt
Just because Northstar is calling does not mean the debt is yours or the amount is correct. BBB complaints document instances of Northstar contacting the wrong person entirely. Review your rights under the FDCPA and applicable state debt collection laws before engaging with any collector.
Is Northstar Location Services a Scam
Northstar Location Services is a real, licensed debt collection agency. Licensed does not mean every tactic is legal. The company is registered and has operated since 2000, which distinguishes it from fraudulent impersonators.
That said, legitimate calls from Northstar will reference a specific original creditor and account. BBB complaints document collectors hanging up when asked for a reference number, refusing to identify themselves or the purpose of the call, and leaving voicemails with only a callback number and no identifying information. Those tactics may violate the FDCPA regardless of whether the underlying debt is real.
Northstar’s 48 BBB complaints and nine federal lawsuits in two years suggest a gap between their compliance marketing and actual practices. Being a real agency does not make every communication legally sound. If a Northstar letter or call felt misleading or threatening, that instinct aligns with documented litigation, the same way complaints against Zwicker Associates and ASAP Processing reveal repeated patterns across thousands of accounts.
Is Northstar Location Services Banned by the FTC
No. Northstar Location Services has not been the subject of an FTC enforcement action. However, the absence of an FTC action does not reflect a clean enforcement record.
Northstar has faced repeated private FDCPA lawsuits, including class actions alleging deceptive balance disclosures, false tax reporting threats in settlement letters, and collection of time-barred debt without required disclosures. Those are the categories of conduct the CFPB and FTC monitor most closely. The CFPB complaint database documents consumer allegations against Northstar, and private litigation has produced the most detailed public record of their practices.
In our practice, we examine Northstar settlement letters for deceptive tax language. One documented class action alleged Northstar threatened IRS reporting consequences on a $595 settlement that did not meet the IRS $600 reporting threshold. That is a specific, verifiable fact pattern. It is the kind of detail that turns a consumer complaint into a federal claim. Consumers with questions about their rights under state law can also review resources covering the Mississippi Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and similar state-level protections.
Federal Lawsuits Filed Against Northstar Location Services
Yes. Northstar Location Services has faced at least thirteen documented federal lawsuits, with nine concentrated between 2017 and 2018. The 2017 cluster is the most legally significant.
The five 2017 fee disclosure class actions all alleged the same failure:
- Gavrialov v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2017): alleged failure to disclose whether the stated balance would increase due to interest or fees
- Koulouris v. NorthStar Location Services, LLC (2017): claimed the company failed to indicate whether the stated balance would accrue additional charges
- Leifer v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2017): alleged a collection letter failed to clearly communicate the total amount owed
- Vouvounas v. NorthStar Location Services, LLC (2017): proposed class action claiming misleading letters with no safe harbor language disclosing whether the balance could grow
- Ross v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2017): alleged abusive, deceptive, and unfair collection practices
The 2018 cases extended the litigation record with broader deceptive practice allegations:
- Diaz v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): class action alleging misleading and unfair means to collect debt
- Quinn v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): alleged false, deceptive, and misleading representations in collection efforts
- Ungar v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): class action regarding unlawful, deceptive collection practices and time-barred debt
- Feldman v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): alleged deceptive and unconscionable means to collect a debt
- Gvarliani v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): class action filed in New Jersey alleging FDCPA violations
- Carter v. Northstar (2018): alleged Electronic Fund Transfer Act violations alongside FDCPA claims
Additional cases on record include Morgen v. Northstar Location Services and Franco v. Northstar Location Services LLC, both alleging deceptive tax penalty language in settlement offers. Earlier cases include Velas (2013), Danaher (2013), Smith (2011), Maloney (2010), Crowe (2013), Taylor (2011), and Harris (2017).
When we open a Northstar file, we request every collection letter they sent and compare the balance disclosures against the fee disclosure standard at the center of those 2017 cases. A letter that fails to specify whether the balance is fixed or accruing is a documented FDCPA violation pattern. Northstar has already litigated repeatedly.
What Northstar Location Services Letters Must Disclose
Yes, Northstar collection letters must comply with the FDCPA, and that compliance includes specific balance disclosures. Five separate 2017 federal class actions alleged Northstar letters stated a balance without disclosing whether it would increase due to interest or fees.
If you received a Northstar letter and paid what you believed settled the account, only to find a remaining balance, undisclosed fee accrual may explain the gap. A separate class of lawsuits alleged Northstar threatened IRS reporting consequences on settlements below the $600 reporting threshold. Check every letter for both issues.
Can Northstar Location Services Sue You
Yes. Northstar can file a lawsuit if the debt is within your state’s statute of limitations, typically three to six years depending on debt type and state. Verify whether the debt falls within that window before responding to any legal threat.
One documented lawsuit, Ungar v. Northstar Location Services, alleged that Northstar sent collection notices on time-barred debt without disclosing that the statute of limitations had expired. Collecting on time-barred debt without that disclosure may itself violate the FDCPA. Wage garnishment requires a court judgment first. Any garnishment threat before Northstar has a judgment is not legally enforceable and may be a separate FDCPA violation.
Consumers who have been sued should verify whether their state has additional protections. Resources on stopping credit bureau systems harassment and payday loan collectors like CashNet document similar escalation patterns.
How The Wood Firm PLLC Helps Stop Northstar Location Services Debt Harassment
Northstar’s concentrated 2017 to 2018 litigation record gives us specific angles to examine from the start. The fee disclosure failures alleged across five cases in one year mean that any letter Northstar sent is worth examining for whether the balance was clearly communicated and whether interest or fee accrual was disclosed. We also review settlement letters for deceptive tax language and check whether any debt Northstar collected was time-barred at the time of contact.
The Wood Firm PLLC represents consumers exclusively and has never represented a creditor or collection agency. When you call, the firm sends legal notice to Northstar immediately, which typically stops contact within 48 hours. The firm pursues statutory damages of up to $1,000 per FDCPA violation, actual damages for emotional distress, and TCPA damages of $500 to $1,500 per illegal robocall if Northstar used an auto-dialer without consent. The Wood Firm PLLC handles these cases on contingency. If Northstar violated federal law, they pay the fees, not you. To start a free case review, call +1-844-638-1122.
If Northstar has called repeatedly or sent a letter with unclear balance terms, visit our contact page for a free case review. The Wood Firm PLLC handles these cases on contingency.
Your Next Step If Northstar Location Services Has Contacted You
Northstar Location Services has a documented pattern of specific, legally actionable conduct: fee disclosure failures in collection letters, deceptive tax language in settlement offers, time-barred debt collection without required disclosures, and excessive call volume. These are not vague complaints. They are the factual basis of thirteen federal lawsuits.
If Northstar has contacted you, document every call, save every letter, and do not pay anything before verifying the debt in writing. The Wood Firm PLLC reviews these cases at no cost to you. Call +1-844-638-1122: if Northstar violated federal law, they pay the fees.
Jeff Wood represents consumers exclusively. He never represents creditors or collectors. He holds federal court admissions across 9 districts, including all courts of AR, CO, NM, and TX. He practices from Little Rock, AR.
Frequently Asked Questions About Northstar Location Services
Why is Northstar Location Services calling you
Northstar Location Services is calling you because a creditor assigned or sold your account to them for collection. They collect auto deficiencies, credit cards, personal loans, and telecommunications accounts. If you do not recognize the creditor or the amount, request written validation before engaging.
Is Northstar Location Services legitimate
Yes, Northstar is a real, registered debt collection agency based in Cheektowaga, NY, in operation since 2000. Being legitimate does not mean compliant. Their record includes 48 BBB complaints and thirteen federal lawsuits. Nine of those were filed in a two-year period.
What were the Northstar Location Services lawsuits about
Five 2017 class actions alleged Northstar letters failed to disclose whether the balance would increase. Interest and fee accrual went undisclosed. Additional cases alleged deceptive tax language in settlement offers and collection of time-barred debt without required disclosures.
What is Northstar Location Services phone number
Their primary lines are (716) 817-6770 and (877) 630-6700. Their email is nlsemail@northstarlocation.com. Consumer-reported numbers include (866) 224-9824, (877) 682-2671, and multiple 888-820-XXXX variants including 0961, 0963, 0964, 0968, and 0969.
Does Northstar Location Services do pay for delete
There is no public pay-for-delete policy, but deletion is negotiable as a condition of settlement. Get the agreement in writing before paying, specifying removal from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Also confirm in writing that the settled balance is final and no further fees apply.
Can Northstar Location Services sue me
Yes, if the debt is within your state’s statute of limitations. Verify whether the debt falls within that window before responding to any legal threat. Northstar cannot garnish wages without a court judgment, and arrest for consumer debt is illegal under the FDCPA.
Where is Northstar Location Services located
Northstar Location Services is headquartered at 4285 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225. They also operate a wholly owned subsidiary in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Their Canadian presence explains why a Buffalo-area collector may contact consumers across the U.S.-Canada border.
What should I look for in a Northstar Location Services letter
Check whether the letter clearly states the total owed. Confirm whether the balance is subject to increase from interest or fees. Five 2017 federal lawsuits alleged Northstar failed to make that disclosure. If your letter is unclear on that point, it may contain the same defect those courts examined.
